Many local councils are delaying decisions on opening new asylum centres until after the local elections in March 2026, the Telegraaf reported on Thursday.

Although all 342 councils are required to provide accommodation for their fair share of refugees by law many have yet to do so, the paper said.

Across the country, discussions about new asylum centres are under way, but progress is slow. Feasibility studies, permit procedures and lengthy political negotiations can take years, while protests at proposed locations have flared repeatedly, the paper said.

The result is a backlog of stalled plans from Zeeland to Groningen, with delays in places including Houten, Zaltbommel, Venray, Terneuzen, Aalten, Haaksbergen, Amersfoort, Montferland, Neder-Betuwe, the Hogeland, Bladel and Geldermalsen.

Ridderkerk, which has been looking at setting up a 250-bed centre said the issue is “socially sensitive” and has paused the process until after the vote. Amersfoort has also stepped back following protests and will first spend months talking to residents, working from a list of 70 possible sites. A final decision is expected only after the elections.

The strategy means shifts in council majorities could influence whether proposed centres open or not, and the issue is likely to become central in many local campaigns. The Netherlands will elect 340 new local councils on March 18.

Councils that have paused their plans often point to uncertainty from The Hague. Although the outgoing cabinet promised to scrap law to spread refugees around the country, this never happened, and it remains unclear how the rules will be enforced for councils that refuse to provide accommodation.

Most local authorities support the law, but many have faced violent protests. In Venlo, extra security has now been installed at the home of mayor Antoin Scholten because of the threats he has received over plans to provide housing for refugees.

Teurneuzen mayor Erik van Merrienboer has resigned because of the threats which have been made against him.

Earlier this year, the Dutch local authorities association called on the government to act swiftly to address problems around accommodation for asylum seekers, warning that local councils are being left “on their own.”

In a letter to the cabinet, Sharon Dijksma, mayor of Utrecht and chairwoman of the local authorities association VNG, said the situation is spiralling out of control. “Councils are finding it harder and harder to do their jobs,” she wrote.

The VNG pointed to repeated overcrowding at the Ter Apel registration centre, incidents involving disruptive asylum seekers, and growing hostility in local debates about housing.